Electric-circuit closer for looms.



no. 692,924. Patented Fen. |902.

H. W. SMITH.

ELECT-RIAS CIRCUIT CLOSER FOR'L'MYS` (Application mea No'v. 25, 139e.)

ms PETERS ca.. PHoTa-Lrmo.. whmn'mu, u. c,

UNiTnn STATES PATENT rrrcn.

HARRY YV. SMITH, OF VOROESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

ELECTRIC-CIRCUIT CLOSER FOR LOONIS.

SPECIFICATON forming part f Letters Patent NO. 692,924, dated. February 1 1, 1902.

Application led November 25, 1898. Serial No. 697,359. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY W. SMITH, a cit i' zen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of Worcester and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electric-Circuit Closers for Looms, of which the following is a specification, accompanied by drawings forminga part of the same, and in Which- Figure 1 represents in side elevation a i shuttle-box of a loom having the front of the box and the binder removed to show the shuttle contained in the box. View of the shuttle-box with the shuttle contained therein. Fig. 3 is a central vertical longitudinal sectional view of a portion of a shuttle and bobbin contained in the shuttle. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of the shuttle and bobbin on line 4 4, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 represents a top view of a portion of a shuttle, showing a modified form of a bobbin and bobbin-support.

Similar reference figures denoteA similar parts in the different figures.

My present invention relates to a device for closing an electric circuit during the operation of the loom for the purpose of controlling the action of auxiliary mechanism for either stopping the loom before the withdrawal of weft from the shuttle in order that new weft may be supplied by the Weaver or for controlling the action of auxiliary mechanism by which a fresh supply of weft is automatically furnished to the loom.

Mechanism for automatically supplying weft to the shuttle is already employed in Weaving-looms and mechanism for automatically stopping the loom controlled by an electromagnet forming part of an electric circuit has also been used, and the construction and operation of such auxiliary mechanism will be Well understood by those conversant with the art of weaving.

My invention relates particularly to the device for closing the electric circuit and energizing an electromagnet forming a part of the circuit by which such auxiliary mechanism is brought into action before the weft is entirely exhausted from the shuttle in order that the operation of weaving may not be interrupted; and my invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts, as

Fig. 2 is a top' hereinafter described, and set forth in the annexed claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, l denotes a portion of a lathe, 2 a shuttle-box mounted thereon, and 3 a shuttle contained in the shuttle-box. The shuttle 3 contains a bobbin 4, upon which the weft is wound and supported, in the present instance upon a spindle 5, hinged Within the shuttle in the usual and well-known manner. The bobbin shown is of the usual form commonly ernployed, consisting of a stem 6, a conical base 7, and a head S. The particular forms of bobbin and bobbin-support as shown in the drawings are those most commonly employed; but they are not essential to the embodiment of my invention, as other known forms of bobbin or bobbin-su pportin g devices may be substituted therefor.

Mounted upon the lathein any convenient position and extending into the path'of the shuttle ias it enters the shuttle-box are two brushes 9 and '10, which by means of bindingscrews 11 11 and wires 12 and 13 are connected with the opposite poles of a battery or other source of electricity and made part of an electric circuit.

The shuttle 3 is provided With two contactstrips 14 and 15, arranged to be brought into rubbing contact with the brushes 9 and 10, and thereby included in the electric circuit. Contact-strip 14 is electrically connected with the metallic bobbin support or spindle 5 by means of a wire 17, contained in a chamber 18, formed in the body of the shuttle. The bobbin 4 is provided with a metallic bushing 19, which fits the spindle 5 and is itself electrically connected, by means of Wires 2O 20, with a band 2l upon the outside of the bobbin and arranged to be covered with weft when the bobbin is wound and to be uncovered by the withdrawal of weft in the operation of Weaving previous to the entire Withdrawal of the weft from the bobbin. The contact-strip 15 upon the shuttle is provided With an elastic blade 22, either attached to the contactstrip 15 or integral therewith and extending downward between the bobbin 4 and the side wall 23 of the bobbin-chamber and in the plane of the band 21 when the bobbin is placed in position in the shuttle.

Each time that the shuttle enters the shuttie-box beneath the brushes E) and 10 contactstrip 14 is brought into contact with the brush 9, connected With one pole of the battery, and contact-strip 15 is brought into contact with the brush 10, connected with the opposite pole of the battery. While the band 21 is covered by weft the electric circuit Will remain open; but when the weft has been Withdrawn in the operation of weaving, so as to uncover the band and allow the elastic blade 22 to come in contact therewith, the electric circuit Will be closed by the contact of the brushes 9 and 10 with the contact-strips 14 and 15.

Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 illustrate the embodiment of my invention with the use of a bobbin of the usual form and a hinged metallic spindle, forming the bobbin support; but whatever the form of bobbin or bobbin-support employed it is only necessary that the bobbin-support should be electrically connected with one of the contact-strips of the shuttle and that the band 21 should be electrically connected with the bobbin-support when the bobbin is placed in position in the shuttle.

In case the bobbin is supported by the periphery of the head, as shown in Fig. 5, as in the case of looms noW in use, the bobbin-support 24 is electrically connected with the contact-strip l5 and the band 21 is electrically connected with the band 25, inclosing the head 8 of the bobbin, by means of a wire 26, said band 25 taking the place of the bushing 19 and being brought in contact with the metallic bobbin-support 24 when the bobbin is placed in the shuttle. .Y

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

' 1. In an electric-circuit closer for looms, the combination With a shuttle-body having a metallic bobbin-support and a bobbin held thereby, of a metallic surface on said bobbin arranged to be brought into direct contact with said bobbin-support as the bobbin is inserted in the shuttle, a band on said bobbin electrically connected With said metallic contact-surface, a yielding metallic blade arranged to continuously press against the Wef t on the bobbin and to come into contact with said band as the weft is removed and means for completing an electric circuit through said bladeand said bobbin-support, substantially as described.

2. lIn an electric-circuit closer for`looms, the combination With a shuttle-body and a bobbin held therein, of a hinged spindle supporting said bobbin, a contact-strip on the shuttle-body electrically connected with said hinged spindle, an interior metallic bushing in said bobbin in contact with said spindle, a metallic band on the outer surface of the bobbin arranged to be covered with weft when the bobbin is Wound, an electrical connection between said outer band and said interior bushing, a yielding blade arranged to come in contact with said outer band when it is uncovered, a contact-strip on the shuttle electrically connected with said yielding blade, and brushes forming part of an electric circuit extending into the path of the contactstrips on said vshuttle-body, substantially as described.

3. In an electric-circuit closer for looms, the combination with the shuttle-body, a bobbin held therein, a contact-strip on the shuttlc-body, an interior metallic bushing in said bobbin in electrical connection with said contact-stri p on the sh Little-body, a metallic band on the outer surface of the bobbin arranged to be covered by the weft carried thereby, an electrical connection between said band and interior bushing, and a blade adapted to contact with the metallic band when it is uncovered by the weft and complete the electrical connection through the said contact-strip and blade.

4. In an electric-circuit closer for looms, the combination with the shuttle-body, a bobbin held therein, a conducting-support for said bobbin, a conducting-band on said bobbin in electrical connection with the support, and a yielding blade arranged to constantly press against the weft on the bobbin and to contact with the band as the weft is removed from the bobbin and before complete exhaustion thereof, and means for completing an electric circuit through said blade and band.

HARRY W. SMITH.

X/Vitnesses:

RUFUs B. FoWLER, ELIZABETH GRAY. 

